In most conventional inserting machines each mail piece is processed along a horizontal path after the insertion function has been completed. Such horizontal processing is typically necessary so that a postage meter can affix or print postage on the stuffed envelope comprising the mail piece. However, once postage has been applied to the envelope, the envelope is generally conveyed to a stacking device as the envelope leaves the inserting machine. In some cases, the envelope is conveyed to a horizontal stacking device from which an operator removes a stack of envelopes when the stack reaches a certain number of envelopes. The removed stack may then be manually placed in a mail tray that will be sent to the postal service. In this manner, the user can take advantage of lower postal rates which are provided to users that tray envelopes according to some predetermined criteria.
It is known to stack mail pieces on edge after being processed on an inserting machine. For example, an on-edge stacker is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,504. There are certain advantages in stacking the mailpieces on edge. In particular, the stacks of mailpieces can be stacked at higher densities before an operator needs to be involved. Typically, on-edge stacking can be processed at a higher speed and the stacks are more easily transferred to mail trays that can be used later during the processing of the mailpieces by the postal service. Before such on edge stacking devices can be used to process mailpieces output from a typical inserting machine, it is necessary to change the orientation of the mail pieces from horizontal to vertical.
An example of a device for turning articles such as envelopes 90 degrees as the articles move from an entrance location to an exit location is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,157. The device includes a pair of flexible endless belts each having a span contiguous to a corresponding span of the other. A pair of entrance and exit roller/pulleys have the flexible belts wrapped around them. The entrance roller/pulleys are opposed but offset such that the envelope begins to turn immediately upon being engaged by the pulleys and belts. Idler rollers, commonly referred to as steering rollers, assist in keeping the belts properly positioned on the entrance and exit roller/pulleys.
A significant discontinuity exists when traditional envelope insertion equipment is interfaced to high speed mail stacking equipment. Since inserters generally provide the ability to apply postage to mailpieces being processed, the orientation of the mailpiece produced by an inserter is typically horizontal, with the top edge of the envelope registered along a registration wall. Such orientation and registration is necessary because the indicia must be placed in the top right-hand corner of the envelope regardless of the envelope depth. As different envelope sizes are processed by the inserter, the top edge of each envelope is always registered and the bottom edge position varies from envelope size to envelope size.
The variation in bottom edge position produces difficulties when an attempt is made to interface traditional insertion systems with high speed mail stacking devices which typically are "on-edge" stacking devices. Not only do such on-edge stacking devices process mail in a vertical orientation (as opposed to the horizontal orientation of inserter output), but they also process the mail with each mailpiece bottom edge justified. Since inserters produce various mail runs which vary in envelope size and thus with inconsistent bottom edge positioning, the mail must not only be changed to a vertical orientation, but also realigned so that its bottom edge is justified against a common surface before entering any form of on edge stacking device.
One logical solution would be to separate the reorientation process into two discrete steps; realign each mailpiece produced by an inserter to a consistent bottom edge registration wall and then use a conventional 90 degree turn up device to reorient each envelope to a vertical plane. At the conclusion of these two steps any mailpiece, regardless of size would positioned be appropriately to enter an on-edge stacking device. Although this two step approach would work, there are several inherent disadvantages to the aligning process contained in such an arrangement. First, horizontally disposed alignment devices generally contain paper manipulations that skid mailpieces up against a registration surface and then constantly apply urge forces, foe example by belts, rollers, pulleys, etc., to transport them along a registration wall. The urging forces may not only serve to distort and buckle each mailpiece, but inherent in these forces are relative motions that may disturb the envelope seal which has not had an opportunity to dry. Additionally, the skidding motions needed to transport the mailpiece from a top edge registration to a bottom edge registration edge would not be considered good paper handling practice. The entire alignment process would lack good paper handling control. Finally, such two step alignment requires an additional bottom edge alignment device that adds to the overall size of the equipment processing the mailpieces.
It an object of the present invention to provide a simple and reliable turn-up alignment device that simultaneously turns envelopes from a horizontal to a vertical orientation and performs the bottom edge registration.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a turn-up and alignment device that can be coupled to the output end of an inserting machine.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a turn-up and alignment device that can easily be adjusted to handle various sizes of envelopes.